Punishing the Brats

“Well, okay,” Matt said, nodding. “How about you ask me whatever you like, and I’ll answer if I want to.”

“If you want to?”

“Well, I can’t tell you everything, can I?”

“Why not?”

“Because then I would lose my mysterious aura.” He made a face, and Chastity smirked.

“Yeah, whatever, Matt.”

“So what did you want to know?”

“Did you go to university?”

He looked over at her, his eyebrows furrowed. “Why do you ask that?”

“If you’re going to answer every question with a question,” Chastity began before her step-father interrupted her.

“Okay, okay. I did, yes. The full three years. That’s how it was back then.”

“What did you study?”

“I started off in philosophy, but moved into sociology after. Also did a few electives in physical therapy, as unrelated as that seems. Anybody could take it back then because nobody really took it seriously. They all bet wrong on that one.”

“Why did you transfer out of philosophy?”

“I don’t know,” he said, exhaling. “I guess it just made me feel like I was learning how to be unhappy in a more intelligent way. Just didn’t feel… rewarding.”

“And sociology?”

“More of the same, really, only with more theory and a bunch of white-coat friends who tried their best to cite each other with every paper they wrote. Just one great big boys club. As you can probably tell, my tertiary education is not an experience I particularly valued then, nor do I now.”

“And physical therapy?”

“I was just interested.”

“I didn’t realize you did so much in school.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” he asked, grinning. “Are you trying to imply something, Chastity?”

“Well, you do fit the stereotype of a jock. Like, the way you look and everything.”

“A jock?”

“Yeah. You know, dumb as a rock, bad grades, amazing bod, scholarship.”

He skipped over the inappropriate compliment smoothly. “Funny you should say that. Back when I was your age, I was anything but a jock.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. So, do you like jocks at your school?”

“No,” Chastity answered. It was the truth.

“Good thing I’m not a jock then,” Matt said.

The two fell into silence after that, and once again Chastity could feel that awkward barrier between them. She was beginning to suspect that it took two to tango, and perhaps he had feelings for her, too. Sort of like two clumsy teenagers with hopeless crushes on each other finding themselves sharing the same lift.